Bhagavad Gita 5.19

ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo
yeṣāḿ sāmye sthitaḿ manaḥ
nirdoṣaḿ hi samaḿ brahma
tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ

Translation of Bhagavad Gita 5.19

Those whose minds are established in sameness and equanimity have already conquered the conditions of birth and death. They are flawless like Brahman, and thus they are already situated in Brahman.

Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:

Equanimity of mind, as mentioned above, is the sign of self-realization. Those who have actually attained to such a stage should be considered to have conquered material conditions, specifically birth and death. As long as one identifies with this body, he is considered a conditioned soul, but as soon as he is elevated to the stage of equanimity through realization of self, he is liberated from conditional life. In other words, he is no longer subject to take birth in the material world but can enter into the spiritual sky after his death. The Lord is flawless because He is without attraction or hatred. Similarly, when a living entity is without attraction or hatred, he also becomes flawless and eligible to enter into the spiritual sky. Such persons are to be considered already liberated, and their symptoms are described below.

Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:

This verse praises the ability to see equally. In this world (iha eva), they have defeated samsara, that which has been created (sargah jitah).

Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:

5.19 By those whose minds rest in equalness with regard to all selves in the aforesaid manner, even here, i.e., even at the stage of executing the means, Samsara is overcome. For the Brahman is of the same nature everywhere when uncontaminated. The meaning is that the substance of self, when free from the contaminations resulting from contact with the Prakrti (body), is the same everywhere i.e., as the Brahman (the Atman). If they are fixed in the equality of all selves, they verily abide in Brahman. The abidance in the Brahman is verily the conquest of Samsara. Those who contemplate on the sameness of all selves, because of their having the form of knowledge, they are liberated. Sri Krsna now teaches that mode of life by following which the maturity of knowledge in the form of sameness of vision comes to a Karma Yogin.

Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:

An argument may come that one who views equally things that are unequal do what is forbidden in the Vedic scriptures; so how can they be known as wise. Gautama has said that one should treat equals and unequals with difference and equality respectively for when equals are not honoured in the same manner as each other and unequals are honoured in the same way as equals then one reaps demerits in this life and the next. Lord Krishna responds to this with the words ihaeva meaning in this very life exemplifies that it possible in this very existence to achieve the Brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence and conquer samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death. But who is able to achieve this? Lord Krishna declares that those whose minds are established in equanimity, The reason being that the Brahman is equal and constant thus those with equal vision towards all have partaken of the quality of the Brahman. The statement by Gautama of reaping demerits is only true before one has realised the Brahman throughout every aspect of creation.

Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:

Here Lord Krishna is praising those evolved beings who have achieved equanimity of mind.

Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:

Just as it is impossible for one in a room full of smoke to avoid being affected and influenced; similarly for one existing in this transmigratory world of birth and death it is impossible to avoid being affected and influenced. So how then is it possible to remain untouched in this strange world of continuous rebirth into new physical bodies? Lord Krishna uses the words ihaiva in this very life to emphasise that those who have equal vision by perception of the atma or eternal soul residing equally in all beings partake of its eternal transcendental nature and thus have ended the cycle of transmigration and are untouched by reactions to actions which hurls one incessantly into the material existence. Those who are bewildered and infatuated with delusion experience this world as unfathomable and become recipients of samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death. Those who achieve atma tattva or realisation of the soul and perceive the Brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence as well attain victory over rebirth into this transmigratory world and moksa or liberation from the material existence.

The atma or soul has been declared to be imperishable having indestructible attributes. It is always untouched by qualities of the physical body and the subtle body and is unmodifiable and eternal. Although the atma exists in the bodies of all types of beings and this includes demi-god, human, animal, plant and fish; the atma or soul is never present within a genetically created clone, neither can the atma ever be artificially manipulated to reside in the body of a genetically created clone.

Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:

5.19 Iha eva, here itself, even while they are living; is sargah, rebirth; jitah, conquered, overcome; taih, by them, by the learned ones who see with equanimity; yesam, whose; manah, minds, the internal organs; are sthitam, established, made steadfast; samye, on sameness, in Brahman that exists as the same in all beings. It is nirdosam, free from defects. Because of Its existence in such mean objects as an eater of dog’s meat, etc., though It is supposed by fools to be affected by the defects of those (objects), still It remains untouched by those blemishes, hi, because It is free from defects. Nor even is It differentiated by Its qualities, since Consciousness is free from qualifications. And the Lord will speak of desires etc. (cf. 13.6 etc.) as the attributes of the aggregate of body and organs, and will also say, ‘Being without beginning and without qualities’ (13.31). Nor even are there the ultimate distinctions which can create differentiation in the Self, [According to the Vaisesikas, everything is possessed of not only qualities but also of antya-visesa (ultimate distinction), which is a category like substance, quality, action, etc. This distinction makes every entity different from other entities. Thus, individual souls have their own ultimate distinctions by the very fact that they are individuals. Vedanta denies such a category. Besides, the Self is one and omnipresent. Therefore there is nothing else from which It can be distinguished.-Tr.] because there is nothing to prove that these ultimate distinctions exist in every body. Hence, samam brahma, Brahman is the same and one. Tasmat, therefore; te, they; sthitah, are established; brahmani, in Brahman Itself. As a result, not even a shade of defect touches them. For they have no self-identification in the form of perceiving the aggregate of body etc. as the Self. On the other hand, that statement (Gau. Sm. 17.20) refers to the man who has self-identification in the form of perceiving the aggregate of body, (organs) etc. as the Self, for that statement-‘A sacrificer incurs sin by not adoring equally one who is an equal, and by adoring equally one who is not equal to himself, pointedly refers to persons who are the objects of adoration. It is indeed seen that in worship, charity, etc. the determining factors are the possession of such special qualities as being ‘a knower of Brahman’, ‘versed in the six auxiliary branches of Vedic learning’, and ‘versed in the four Vedas’. But Brahman is bereft of association with all qualities and defects. This being so, it is logical that they are established in Brahman. And ‘adoring an equal, …an unequal,’ etc. has reference to men of action. [Those engaged in actions with a sense of agentship, etc.-Tr.] But this subject under consideration, beginning from ‘The embodied man…having given up all actions mentally’ (13) to the end of the chapter, is concerning one who has given up all actions. Since the Self is Brahman which is without blemish and is the same (in all), therefore-

Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:

5.19 This sloka does not exit in Gitartha sangraha of Abhinavagupta.

Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:

ihaiva tair jitah sargo
yesam samye sthitam manah
nirdosam hi samam brahma
tasmad brahmani te sthitah

Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:

iha — in this life; eva — certainly; taiḥ — by them; jitaḥ — conquered; sargaḥ — birth and death; yeṣām — whose; sāmye — in equanimity; sthitam — situated; manaḥ — mind; nirdoṣam — flawless; hi — certainly; samam — in equanimity; brahma — like the Supreme; tasmāt — therefore; brahmaṇi — in the Supreme; te — they; sthitāḥ — are situated.